parasitic

[ par-uh-sit-ik ]

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of parasites.
2. (of diseases) due to parasites.
3. Phonetics. excrescent ( def 2 ).

Other Words From

• para·siti·cal·ly adverb
• para·siti·cal·ness noun
• anti·para·sitic noun adjective
• anti·para·siti·cal adjective
• anti·para·siti·cal·ly adverb
• nonpar·a·sitic adjective
• nonpar·a·siti·cal adjective
• nonpar·a·siti·cal·ly adverb
• pseudo·para·sitic adjective
• unpar·a·sitic adjective
• unpar·a·siti·cal adjective
• unpar·a·siti·cal·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of parasitic¹

1620–30; < Latin parasīticus < Greek parasītikós. See parasite, -ic

Example Sentences

Grafting occurs in nature, too, when closely related plants that touch each other eventually fuse, or when parasitic plants form connections to their hosts.

From Quanta Magazine

She is curious about whether additional genetic sequencing might let researchers suss out when the loss happened and whether the plants were already parasitic.

From Quanta Magazine

Though the disease has many causes, including parasitic infections and other nutrient deficiencies, the most common is a lack of iron, which is responsible for about half of worldwide anemia cases.

From MIT Technology Review

In his laboratory, the scientist studies the parasitic roundworm Trichinella spiralis.

From Nautilus

A tiny parasitic flower in a group called fairy lanterns was vanishingly rare to begin with.

From Science News

Art is parasitic on life, just as criticism is parasitic on art.

From The Daily Beast

In contrast, The Strain was returning to the roots of vampires as scary parasitic creatures—and I liked that.

From The Daily Beast

The viral-CSI element; the mythic vampires who were parasitic and brutal; the arrival of the airplane to JFK; the dead passengers.

From The Daily Beast

Definitely a few unpleasant characters, like parasitic worms, which we deliberately and with good reason evicted.

From The Daily Beast

One of the insects Chaz caught - and I promise I am not making this up - was a parasitic wasp.

From The Daily Beast

It appears to be of parasitic origin, but the specific organism that causes it has not been isolated.

From Project Gutenberg

She was under the power of a strange will which had entered into her, like another soul, like another parasitic and ruling soul.

From Project Gutenberg

(a) Flatworms are sometimes parasitic, examples being the tapeworm and liver fluke.

From Project Gutenberg

Sometimes a complicated life history has arisen from their parasitic habits.

From Project Gutenberg

Another common tapeworm parasitic on man lives part of its life as an embryo within the muscles of cattle.

From Project Gutenberg